• You've discovered RedGuides 📕 an EverQuest multi-boxing community 🛡️🧙🗡️. We want you to play several EQ characters at once, come join us and say hello! 👋
  • IS THIS SITE UGLY? Change the look. To dismiss this notice, click the X --->

EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide (2 Viewers)

Damn. Just throw a good video card in there, install windows 7 and you're set. Can't even build a rig with those specs that cheap getting parts from Newegg.
 
I have a question for the real boxing professionals! Have any of you tried using a dual xeon setup? Something like Link to Amazon Xeon. I was thinking of just getting this, tossing in a 2-3gb graphics card and a cheap SSD drive. Do you think this would outperform an 18box setup on low settings over an i7 box?
 
I found an HP Z600 with 2x 6 core 3.2ghz xeons for $280, should be here 5/17. Gonna throw in an SSD drive and some mediocre 2gb-3gb graphics card. We'll see how it turns out!
 
Ok peeps, this shit really works!

But here are some important facets (READ!):
  • Research! I spent upwards of 30, maybe 40 hours researching the various items up for bid to ENSURE that I could find parts for it. If todays, or even yesterdays, video card wont fit/insert then you are hosed. Same for memory, details matter in these regards! You buy 2 8gig mems only to find out the motherboard requires a 4 X 4 configuration!
  • This goes without saying but will add it: 9 outa 10 times you will need to buy an OS, there's another $100.
  • Plan on shipping being between $35 and $65 (it all adds up)
  • Be patient! Some shmoe gets it in their mind they NEED an item, they will inflate the final price. Be willing to let each and every bid go. I like to say in stock trading; plan your trade, and trade your plan. This means have a plan going in, and STICK to it! If you can't bid without emotion, like the stock market, don't bid. Do NOT get attached to any single piece, all it takes is one shmoe to make you pay twice what you had planned. Let it go! Do NOT expect to find the perfect PC in a day!
  • Caveat Emptor: Many PCs are listed like they were when sold new and as such might have options in the title that are NOT in the box. Dual Xeon's do this alot. The second CPU is RARELY in there. Double check, contact seller if you have to. Some auctions include core counts, know what to look for. The math has to add up!
  • Did I mention be patient?
  • Let Johnny hot-cock have that PC for $500. You are looking for (enter price here).
  • Realize that we are probably bidding against ourselves, that's ok, there are plenty of $200 i7's to go around. Everyone needs one, you know you are playing EQ on a 8 year old dual core!

I just snagged This Beast for $135.50. Both CPU's are in there. It will register in Windows as 16 core (I know, don't start). That is 8 tru cores of EQ goodness brothers! It works, it's worth it...

And yes, you simply have to wait to the last minute to bid. Auto-increment was added to eBay a couple of years back so put your max. I had bid a max of more than double of what I got it for.

This took me almost 2 weeks, almost full time. It's a bitch, but its worth it!

I will update once I have it in-house, configured, and up and running.
 
Re: EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide

I have a dell 690 with dual quad core cpus and 32gb ram, I gotta say, it SOUNDS cool on paper but in actuality my older i7 960 single quad core with 32gb just runs better, I don't get as many instances stable on the xeon as I do on the i7. The i7 seems to handle MANY eq clients better. Don't get me wrong, the xeon is awesome but not as good as my i7s..... That being said I loaded 54 clients on the 960 the day I got it with a 7770 video card and everyone got around 5-8fps, so not a success but they all did zone in! Same test with my i7 and 550 ti card and I got 10-12fps for all 54..... DONT RUN 54 and expect it to be happy! But it is always good to see the limit....

- - - Updated - - -

Now if I can just snag a http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-980X-Extreme-Processor-LGA1366/dp/B003922WES I will be a happy customer and I bet I can get 100 clients to load!
 
Re: EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide

Out of curiosity Raz, why is the 550 ti your go-to card?

One word... Wattage

It is the most power vs wattage efficient card on the market. Will work with a 300watt PSU and still give fantastic ddr5 results in eq... I can run 12 clients at 30fps all damn day with it

- - - Updated - - -

I gotta ask...how do you even keep that many clients straight?

Excel spreadsheet and don't laugh but I cut up a 3/8 square oak dowel in 2" (inch) sections and wrote in sharpie in "class" colors, each toons name/account name on each block and I keep them in a bowl on my desk and stack them like eq jenga infront of the monitor of the box they are on.....
 
Yeah, my research showed the i7 beat the Xeon cpu per cpu. I wouldn't have gone the Xeon route except it had the double CPU and I got it at a great price. I was hoping the 2 Xeon's would do better than a SINGLE i7 though. Either way, this will be a huge upgrade for me. Can't beat the price.
 
Re: EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide

I agree it is in the price range I love!

- - - Updated - - -

Do you know what patients gets you?

One of my i5 just got GOD MODE! I snagged a sweet 3.4g i7 960
 
Re: EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide

Dell Frankenstein Special!
Username: Razkle
Date of build: 15MAY16
Purpose of PC: replacement main PC/ ANYTHING
Instances of EQ: 48+
EQ graphics settings: Middle of the road settings

Processor: i7-960 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor 6 $60
CPU cooler: Stock variable speed cooler
Motherboard: Dell XPS 435MT Stock $200
Memory: Generic 8gb 1600 ram x 3 and 4gb 1600 ram x 3 for 36gb ram (came with 12) added 3x 8gb at $50 each for $150 total
Graphics: 7770 OC version with 1gb ddr5 NOT overclocked! $45
Audio: Onboard
Storage: SAMSUNG EVO 850 512gb Solid State Drive (SSD) $125
Storage2: 2TB WD $75 (bought as an external and removed it from the case)
Case: Stock
PSU: 650w Rosewill from Microcenter $25
Total cost at time of post: Just under $700 for a KILLER machine that can do anything from EQ to any current game!

Bonus was able to take the 1tb hard drive from the unit and the i7 860 processor and upgrade an i5 I had sitting so I actually built 2 machines for this cost!

- - - Updated - - -

1st thing I did was fire up 50 clients on it and they all loaded! not sure how many I could actually load but its alot
 


HP Z600
Username: wink-
Date of build:5/17/2016
Purpose of PC: To play too much EQ and not have it lag while I work on my side web projects!
Instances of EQ: 18. Takes less than 3 minutes to log everyone in.
EQ graphics settings: Low-ish by choice. I haven't heard sound in EQ since 1998. I hate particle effects and could care less about shadows and tattoos. Max clip plane though. No choppiness at all!

Processor: 2 x Xeon X5650's. Each are a Hex Core processor.
CPU cooler: Stock
Motherboard: Stock
Memory: 16gb DDR3
Graphics: Nvidia Quadro K600 came stock, replaced with a $40 GT 730.
Audio: Stock
Storage: 240gb SanDisk SSD on sale at Best Buy for $60
Storage2: 500gb Hitachi spinner, came with machine.
Case: Stock
PSU: Stock
Total cost at time of post: Grand total of $450. $330 on Amazon for the PC. $65 for the SSD. I replaced the Nvidia Quadro K600 with a spare Nvidia GT730 which retails for about $40.

Link to post about build:

 
Last edited:
Re: EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide




Storage: 240gb SanDisk SSD on sale at Best Buy for $60

Link to post about build:


The SSD Drive in question is nice, very nice! here is the link AND free shipping!

- - - Updated - - -

HOT TIP: building a SFF machine and need a powerhouse video card on a budget?

AMD ATI Radeon HD 7570 1GB PCI-E Video Card (ATI-102-C33402-B) Low Profile

MAKE sure you get the DDR5 version and not the MUCH slower ddr3 version! I popped this into my old i5 HPz200SFF and went from 6-9clients to 12-18 clients!

I was patient and stole mine on eBay for $35
 
Re: EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide

The SSD Drive in question is nice, very nice! here is the link AND free shipping!

- - - Updated - - -

HOT TIP: building a SFF machine and need a powerhouse video card on a budget?

AMD ATI Radeon HD 7570 1GB PCI-E Video Card (ATI-102-C33402-B) Low Profile

MAKE sure you get the DDR5 version and not the MUCH slower ddr3 version! I popped this into my old i5 HPz200SFF and went from 6-9clients to 12-18 clients!

I was patient and stole mine on eBay for $35

These low prices and the variety of whats available to you guys makes me want to move to the USA.
 
Re: EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide



HP Z600 Dual Xeon Quad Core
Username: The Incog
Date of build:5/20/16
Purpose of PC: Overbuild for my 6 man grp and 4 traders
Instances of EQ: *Update* Running 18 clients without issue - some gfx still on
EQ graphics settings: *Update* Spell effects off - half the models off
Processor: Dual Xeon Quad Core - 2 CPUs
CPU cooler: Stock
Motherboard: Stock
Memory: *Update* 12 gb - working perfect, will get more later
Graphics: GTX 750 TI 2g's
Audio: Stock - EQ sound off haha
Storage: Stock 250g's SATA 3 - 1 TB and 250 SSD on the way
Storage2:
Case: BMW Custom modular built for HP
PSU: 650 Stock
Total cost at time of post: Under $500 (including HD and SSD)

Even though I know that core vs core the i7 beats the Xeon, I didn't think I could find an 8 tru-core i7 rig, at any price much less for under $200. I wanted the 8 core because of something Lax said over at IS. I knew I was basically going to be running a 6 man grp, don't see me doing more than that except traders, and that perhaps not at the same time, and I wanted to start turning visuals back on.

I will do something with the memory later, it's working fine as is, probably go at least 16, maybe 32, but I think I need server mem and that's more expensive. The case weighs a ton (must be 50 #) which explains the shipping. It's entirely modular, more-so than you would think, bordering on proprietary (replacing the PSU would be very spendy as it's built solely for this case). It's completely tool-less and a real treat to work with - like a Transformer. Rugged as all hell. My research reveals good reviews. I am pleased.

I went with the GTX 750 TI as research showed it was twice the power/mem for less power usage/requirement. I nabbed it for $100. I have on the way the 1 TB drive mentioned previously from Microcenter. I found it at same price with free 2 day shipping at Amazon and wish I had gone that route as I am still waiting for the damn thing. I also have on the way the Samsung 250 SSD from Bestbuy mentioned previously but once again, found it on Amazon for same price and woulda already received it. Tip: Don't use Paypal if ordering it from Bestbuy. Mine is hanging in limbo and the order # isn't found in their system. They just aren't up to snuff.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, by using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool you can download and burn an ISO to install on a new PC/HD. I purchased an activation key on the intarwebs for $30.

** Update ** The GTX 750 TI runs 3 monitors flawlessly; 1 HDMI (converted), 1 displayport (adapted - don't have a displayport capable monitor) and DVI (latest gen). Monoprice.com has the best prices for cables. IS really likes this vid card.
 
Last edited:
Has anyone seen any real increases by jumping to a better motherboard? I run 16gb of ram with an nvidia 770 and I usually do OK. However, I think the stock motherboard I have is throttling hyperthreading, so I have been looking around at better motherboards.
 
just added one that i Built to the list, still messing around with it, but love it so far.



Dual CPU/Gaming PC and just about anything else
Username: Ubereater
Date of build: 7/20/2016
Purpose of PC: EQ, and just whatever. Was sick of my old laptop, and figured, let's do this.
Instances of EQ: 18+
EQ graphics settings: High, new models etc, still messing around with all the effects to see what I actually want on, but no problems so far

Benchmark: 3dMark benchmark score

The motherboard CPU and Ram was a combo deal, which is why they're all the same on the list.

Other motherboards/CPU/RAM setups etc, http://www.natex.us/category-s/1875.htm

Processor/Motherboard/Memory: Intel S2600CP Motherboard w/ Dual E5-2670 SR0KX , 128GB Ram $488
CPU FANS: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO $30x2
Graphics: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070 XTREME Gaming GV-N1070XTREME-8GD Video Card $460
Storage: Kingston Digital 480GB UV400 SSD C2C 2.5" SUV400S37/480G $115
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro series PH-ES614PC_BK Black Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case $99
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 B2 80+ BRONZE, 850W $80
randoms: TP-LINK TL-WN881ND Wireless N300 PCI Express Adapter, 2.4GHz 300Mbps $17
randoms: Arctic Silver 5 AS5-3.5G Thermal Paste $8
randoms: Intel AXX2IOS I/O Shield $18
Total cost at time of build: $1,350

it's coming up as 32 cores, i thought it was only going to be 16, 8 per processor, so still looking into it, but EQ loves all the cores!!!!
 
Last edited:



Username: Dchap0808
Date of build:01/15/2016
Purpose of PC: EQ mostly
Instances of EQ:4
EQ graphics settings:Can run max settings, but usually dont

Processor: AMD FX 8350 8 core 4.21Ghz running @ 4.41Ghz
CPU cooler: Cooler master Sedion 120v Liquid cooling
Motherboard:ASUS Crooshair V Formula-Z
Memory: 32m G.Skill DDR3-OC3-192000 @2400mhz
Graphics: 2x EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 4g running SLI
Audio:Built in w/Motherboard
Storage: Samsund EVO850 500G - Running windows 10 64bit
Storage2: WDC WD1003FZEX 1Tb - EQ loaded on this drive. Crashes on SSD
Case: Thermaltake Core x9
PSU: EVGA Supernova 850 G2
Total cost at time of post:Way to much

Other stuff - 3x ASUS 27" Displays, 14 Corsair Air Series SP120 Fans, LED lighting.

Link to post about build:

 
Last edited:
I just picked up a new motherboard. Asus crosshair v formula z.

Can anyone suggest memory for this setup? I thought I was getting the best at the time, but I guess the article I was checking in to was a little old and I wound up getting this memory kit.

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16820231610

Looking at the qualified vendor list on asus website, there is much faster memory available for this mobo. I'm not up to speed on memory these days, but it looks like it is capable of up to 2400 mhz, with several g.skill being the most readily available. The memory I have in my current mobo, isn't exactly the model they call for, but it is 2400 mhz. I'm going to see how it runs with the 16g of the current 2400 mhz memory, if it runs it at that speed at all, and go from there. My current mobo, won't run the memoru any faster than 1333 mhz no matter what I do, hence the new motherboard.

Anyway, any suggestions on memory?

Thanks!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 
FYI I have bought over the years a couple of cheap windows keys from https://www.reddit.com/r/microsoftsoftwareswap I have heard some people had problems but personally I buy them from https://www.reddit.com/user/Micro4all
I have used the windows 10 upgrade on all of them and have never had a problem.
So basically I buy windows 7 or 8 standard or whatever is cheaper and do the win10 upgrade, usually like 10-15$

I think the problem people are having with the Xeon's is they are buying the low clock speed high core count. Really you should ignore anything under 2.2Ghz. A lot of those cheap i7 boxes on ebay are like my i7 which is an i7-2600
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Xeon-E5-2690-v3-vs-Intel-Core-i7-2600


I have a dual xeon e5-2690v3 with 64gb on an asus Z10PE-D16 WS I am itching to try out to see how many instances I can run.
Just need to spend 100$ on fans and 100$ on a case for the beast, it has been sitting for months but I have had little reason to step away from my i7-2600 still so it will probably sit for months and I will sell it before even using it =(
 
monk, why do you not like the low clock speed high core count Xeons?

I'd take some 14Core or 18Core low clock speed xeon over 4core i7 with 4Ghz+ clock speed if the sole purpose was running multiple EQ instances.

I mean 2 cores at 2.2Ghz should be better at running 2 instances of EQ than 1 core at 4Ghz provided the CPUs have the same IPC. In fact I would say 2 cores at 2Ghz should in theory be slightly better than a single core at 4Ghz for 2 instances of EQ because you save on context switching.

That said I am relatively disappointed in my 2x 2670v1 setup, maybe because I am still using an old GPU (scavenged 5770).

In retrospect I should have gone for a Xeon v3 or v4 setup.
 
No idea current prices... I tore down a small virtualization lab I built 2 years ago. I didn't have any particular use for the machines so I found out that I can easily run 6+ boxes. I haven't run a stress test because I don't have any use to be running more than 4 full groups at a time (at the moment).

They cost $458.76 ea. 2 yrs. ago for all new parts, not counting OS, so not super impressive compared to the rest of the thread. Their power draw should be quite low compared to a normal PC.

Parts:
  • Intel NUC NUC5i3RYH
  • 2x Kingston 8GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3L 1600 (PC3L 12800)
  • Crucial MX200 M.2 Type 2280SS (Single Sided) 250GB SATA 6Gbps (SATA III) Micron 16nm MLC NAND Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

There are technically more parts / higher cost but I don't use them for EQ (Ex: 2.5" 1TB data drives).
 
Raz, I see that your ~$700 build says 48+ instances but that's just loading them into EQ and not actually doing anything, right? And how the hell do you get EQ down to 300mb per instance?!

My PC has an i7-4820 3.7ghz, 16gb ddr3-1600 mem, a samsung 840 evo 1tb ssd, and a gtx 780 ti w/ 3gb ddr5 (overkill for EQ but that's not why I got it) and it just eats memory when playing EQ.
 
my box is morn general then most cause i dont play only legacy but here it goes
i7 5930k on msi 2011-3 mobo
32gigs ddr4
2 r9 295x2 gpus = 4 r9 290x
with a 1600 watt evga gold rated
housed in a corsair 900d have ran 54 clients on this machine
 
I just picked up a new motherboard. Asus crosshair v formula z.

Can anyone suggest memory for this setup? I thought I was getting the best at the time, but I guess the article I was checking in to was a little old and I wound up getting this memory kit.

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16820231610





Looking at the qualified vendor list on asus website, there is much faster memory available for this mobo. I'm not up to speed on memory these days, but it looks like it is capable of up to 2400 mhz, with several g.skill being the most readily available. The memory I have in my current mobo, isn't exactly the model they call for, but it is 2400 mhz. I'm going to see how it runs with the 16g of the current 2400 mhz memory, if it runs it at that speed at all, and go from there. My current mobo, won't run the memoru any faster than 1333 mhz no matter what I do, hence the new motherboard.

Anyway, any suggestions on memory?

Thanks!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

Anytime I build a new box, I visit Tom's Hardware to get caught up. I would start there. They are pretty good with staying up to date and usually keep adding info to their build guides quarterly or when something new hits the scene.

http://www.tomshardware.com/t/memory/
 
Running an I7 6700k with 32gb and 1060 - with new models, max group only particle effects, max background fps and I start maxing out my CPU load around 9 clients. Is ISBoxer a necessity to run more than that or will I just have to bite the bullet and start lowering graphics settings and/or switch to old models?

What are you guys running 18-48 clients do settings wise? Are you running minimum settings with stickfigures? Thinking about buying a new rig specifically for running 18 or more and I'm unsure where the sweet spot is between value and performance. I've been hearing ryzen does really well with multi clients, anyone confirm?
 
I run about 22 on my comp. i7-2700k gtx680 32gb, which is way worse than your setup. The difference is I use stick figures, zero particle effects and use wineq2. Now if I run things without wineq2, I can still load the same amount of toons, but get some severe video lag at 2560x1600 resolution.

Stick figures will make it so it loads less character model assets in the zone. You can see a substantial difference at the PoK lag pile. Watch your memory drop (mq2 hud setting), at the PoK lag pile. With stick figures the memory loss is significantly less, as well as improved my zone times by about 2-3 secs.
 
SenorBlanco have you tried mq2fps?

I run 12 on this setup and I'm at like 12% cpu usage, around 20% mem

1 x SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 500GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E500B/AM

1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan

1 x MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

1 x EVGA SuperNOVA 850 T2 220-T2-0850-X1 80+ TITANIUM 850W Fully Modular EVGA ECO Mode

1 x GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070 DirectX 12 GV-N1070G1 GAMING-8GD 8GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 ATX Video Card

Intel Core i7-4790K Devil's Canyon Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I74790K Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4600
 
Gigabyte Aero 15 V8
Username: Tc215215
Date of build: 04Feb19
Purpose of PC: So that I don't need to run into my study upstairs during every commercial break.
Instances of EQ: 18 so far, all running KA, currently @70% CPU utilisation with EQwire.
EQ graphics settings: Everything off.

Gigabyte Aero 15V8, UHD $1,100
https://www.newegg.com/global/hk-en/Product/Product.aspx?item=9SIA0ZX8917901
Processor: i7-8750H
Laptop cooler: Coolermaster X-Slim II laptop cooler $20
Motherboard: :f5:
Memory: Stock 16GB SODIM, purchased additional Kingston 16 GB CL19, total 32GB $120
Graphics: GTX 1070 Max Q, UHD display
Audio: Onboard
Storage: 512GB on board SSD
PSU: 230W power brick
Total cost at time of post: $1240 after steep discount.

Note: You definitely need very good vision to control all the toons in a UHD laptop screen, but in return you get to see them working in parallel.

Note #2: Special thanks to Dreamflux and Kane01 for optimisation.
 
Last edited:
The OG says you dont need a good graphics card? However when I load 12 toons or more, GPU is 95% or more.
Normal settings or all settings turned down is the same.
Am I missing something?

I7-8700 3.7GHz
GTX 1060 6gb
16GB Ram
512 gb SSD
 
EverQuest PC Building & Laptop Guide

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top